Terms & Truths (New York Billionaires Book 1)

6| List

┏━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━┓

List

┗━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━┛

Chapter 6: List (Rowan's POV)

I stared at Nate's face blankly, feeling dumbfounded. Looking from him to Mr. Michaels, I blinked, slamming the file in my hands shut and throwing it down on the table loudly. "Excuse me, what?" 

"Rowan," Nate warned, shooting me a glare and shaking his head at me. 

I shot onto my feet. "I—" 

He glanced at my seat pointedly, wordlessly telling me to sit the fuck back down. 

So, I did. Sighing, I rolled my tongue along my cheek, resting my elbow on the armrest of the chair and tracing my lower lip with my thumb. 

Are you fucking kidding me? 

"What is this? How does this even make any sense?" I asked, trying not to lose my fucking mind if I hadn't already. 

Mr. Michaels shrugged. "It's what your grandfather requested, Rowan. I can't change the will, not even if I wanted to or tried to. What's on paper, is on paper. And if you want the things that are inherited to you, then you must meet these terms." 

"Terms? These aren't terms, these are life-changing decisions. You don't seriously expect me to follow through, do you?" I looked between them again. 

"You don't seriously expect me to let you take over unless you do... Do you?" Mr. Michaels lifted a brow at me. "Legally, I would have to take action against you if you refuse to do as the will says. Or, you would have to wait around aimlessly until you eventually commit to these terms on your own accord." 

"Yeah... I don't think that's happening any time soon," I scoffed. "I'm not getting married," I affirmed. 

Nate paused for a beat then took in a breath. "But you are." 

In disbelief, I gawked at him. "Nate—" 

"Think about it, Rowan. If you aren't able to take over as co-CEO, you know who gets to decide, don't you?" 

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Our father," I answered reluctantly. 

"Not to mention, if you don't, you won't inherit the things that you are supposed to. It's your decision if these are things you're willing to give up," Mr. Michaels added. 

"He's not," Nate answered sharply. "He's not giving anything up." 

Mr. Michaels nodded before gathering all the papers and files and tucking them back into his briefcase before standing up. "Then I believe I'm done here. Call me whenever you're prepared to move forward with the execution of the will. I'll see you both then." With that, the man showed himself out of the conference room we occupied. 

The moment the door shut beside him, I was up and pacing. "Nate, this is ridiculous. I'm not getting married." 

He sighed, standing up and leaning against the table, his hands tucked into the pockets of his black slacks. "Rowan, if you don't, then you lose your position at this company. It's not like our father would willingly give it to you when this would be a perfect opportunity for him to sneak his way back in. Plus, since this is more important to you, you won't get the paintings."